Liberal democracy

Liberal democracy is a liberal political ideology and a form of government in which representative democracy operates under the principles of classical liberalism: free market capitalism, free multiparty elections, separation of powers between distinct governmental branches, the rule of law in an open society, and equal protection for all people. Liberal democracies usually have universal suffrage, but some do not have secret ballots. Liberal democracy has become the predominant form of government in the western world, existing in constitutional monarchies, parliamentary systems, presidential systems, and semi-presidential systems as "Western democracy".